Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium sits at the west end of Cannery Row, built partly into the shell of the old Hovden sardine cannery and hung right over the water. It is one of the best aquariums in the world and it focuses on one place: Monterey Bay, with its kelp forests, otters, jellies and the deep submarine canyon offshore. From Palo Alto it is a long but very doable day trip.

Our Monterey and Carmel guide fits the aquarium into a bigger day with 17-Mile Drive and Carmel. This page is only about the aquarium: the drive, tickets, how to plan around the feedings, where to park on Cannery Row and where to eat when you come up for air.

Getting there from Palo Alto

The fastest route is US 101 south through San Jose, Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Past Prunedale, take State Route 156 west toward Castroville, then Highway 1 south along the bay. In Monterey, take the Del Monte Avenue exit, follow the waterfront past Fisherman's Wharf and continue through the Lighthouse Avenue tunnel toward Cannery Row. The aquarium is at 886 Cannery Row, at the far end of the street near the Pacific Grove line.

It is roughly 85 to 90 miles and about 1.5 to 2 hours in light traffic. Two stretches decide how your morning goes. The first is US 101 through south San Jose, which can crawl on weekday mornings. The second is Highway 1 into Monterey, which backs up on summer weekends and long holiday weekends. Leaving Palo Alto by 7:30 a.m. usually gets you to Cannery Row before the garages fill. Our traffic guide covers the worst windows on 101.

The scenic alternative is Highway 17 over the mountains to Santa Cruz, then Highway 1 south around the bay. It takes a bit longer but lets you stop in Santa Cruz or at Moss Landing on the way home. There is no practical train or bus for a same-day trip from Palo Alto, so drive or join a guided tour from San Francisco.

Tickets and hours

Here is what the aquarium's visit page listed when we checked on November 2, 2026:

The page said tickets were on sale through December 31, 2026 and advised buying ahead for a smooth entry. Weekends, school holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year's are the busiest days, so a dated ticket bought in advance is the safer choice. You can book aquarium tickets ahead if you prefer a reseller app. The aquarium also takes part in Museums for All, which offers free admission to eligible cardholders; details are on its website.

Opening hours vary by season and the aquarium does not publish one fixed schedule for the year. Check the hours on the aquarium's schedule page for your date, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Budget at least three hours inside. Families with curious kids often stay five.

Plan around the feedings

The single best planning trick is to build your visit around the daily feedings and talks. The schedule changes, but on the day we checked, November 1, 2026, it looked like this:

• Sea otter feeding: 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Sea Otters exhibit.
• Kelp Forest feeding: 12:30 p.m. at the Kelp Forest exhibit, when a diver feeds the fish in the three-story tank.

Get to the otter exhibit 15 minutes early for the morning feeding, because the railing fills fast. The afternoon feeding is usually calmer. Between feedings, the auditorium shows programs such as Making Into the Deep, about the aquarium's deep sea exhibition. Check the daily schedule on the website the morning you go, since times shift.

What to see inside

The aquarium is large and a little maze-like. A rough route that works for most visitors:

1. Kelp Forest: start on the main level with the towering kelp tank, one of the signature exhibits. Leopard sharks and schools of sardines circle through swaying giant kelp.
2. Monterey Bay Habitats: a long tank of sharks, rays and fish from the sandy bottom of the bay, plus the touch pools where kids can feel sea stars and anemones.
3. Sea Otters: the rescued otters live in a two-story exhibit with views from above and below the water. Most cannot return to the wild and some act as surrogate mothers for orphaned pups.
4. Open Sea: upstairs, a huge tank holds tuna, sharks, sea turtles and great schools of fish, with a jellies gallery leading in.
5. Into the Deep: the aquarium's deep sea exhibition brings animals from the Monterey Canyon to the surface in dim, quiet galleries.

Do not skip the back decks. The Great Tide Pool outside is open to the real bay. On many days you can see wild otters, harbor seals and pelicans just past the rocks. Bring a jacket for the decks even in summer.

Parking on Cannery Row

The aquarium has no public parking lot. Its directions page sends drivers to city garages and lots nearby:

• Cannery Row Parking Garage, 601 Foam Street, the largest option and a few blocks from the entrance.
• Cannery Row Lot 7, 160 Irving Avenue.
• Cannery Row Lot 21, 32 Cannery Row.
• Metered spaces on Foam Street, Wave Street and Ocean View Boulevard.

The aquarium page does not list rates. They are posted at each lot and the City of Monterey accepts the ParkMobile app in its lots. Visitors with a disabled person placard or plate may park free at the metered street spaces around the aquarium. There is a drop-off zone near the entrance, which helps with strollers and older relatives. On busy summer Saturdays, the garages near Cannery Row can fill by late morning, which is one more reason to leave Palo Alto early.

Where to eat

The aquarium has one cafe with a dining area, open daily until 30 minutes before closing. No outside food may be eaten inside the building, though refillable water bottles are fine. If you packed a picnic, eat it before you go in or on the coastal path nearby.

Outside, a few long-running choices are a short walk or drive away:

• The Sardine Factory, 701 Wave Street, a Cannery Row institution since 1968. Its website lists dinner from 4:30 p.m. daily, so it suits the end of the day rather than lunch.
• Old Fisherman's Grotto, 39 Fisherman's Wharf, known for its clam chowder, about a mile east on the recreation trail.
• Captain + Stoker, 398 E. Franklin Street downtown, a coffee roaster that lists weekday opening at 6:30 a.m. Handy if you arrive early.

Hours change by season, so check each restaurant's own site before you count on it.

Best time to go

Weekdays outside school holidays are the calmest days by far. If you must go on a weekend, arrive at opening and see the most popular exhibits first, then eat lunch late when the crowds move to the cafe. Winter weekdays can be almost quiet, while late December and spring break are among the busiest times of year.

The weather matters less than you might think, since nearly everything is indoors. That makes the aquarium a good choice for a rainy day, when the coast parks are soggy. Fog is common on summer mornings in Monterey. September and October usually bring the clearest days. Our weather guide explains why the coast is so much cooler than Palo Alto.

A sample day

1. 7:30 a.m. Leave Palo Alto on US 101 south.
2. 9:15 a.m. Park in the Cannery Row Parking Garage and grab coffee.
3. Opening time. Kelp Forest and Monterey Bay Habitats while the galleries are quiet.
4. 10:15 a.m. Claim a spot at the sea otter exhibit for the morning feeding.
5. 11 a.m. Open Sea, the jellies and Into the Deep.
6. 12:30 p.m. Kelp Forest feeding, then a late lunch.
7. 2 p.m. Back decks and the Great Tide Pool, then a walk on the recreation trail toward Pacific Grove.
8. 3:30 p.m. Afternoon otter feeding if you want a second look, then head home before 5 p.m. or wait out the traffic over dinner.

If you want to add whale watching from the wharf, see our whale watching guide and consider an overnight. You can compare hotels in Monterey for a calmer two-day version. Browse all our day trips from Palo Alto for more ideas.

Frequently asked questions